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Sunday, October 28, 2012

Democratic Left Front condemns police murders

PRESS STATEMENT: CALL TO
COSATU WORKERS TO UNITE WITH STRIKING MINEWORKERS, AGAINST THE SAPS AND THE LIES OF THE SACP AT THE 27TH
OCTOBER COSATU RALLY

The Democratic Left Front condemns the
police for shooting workers in Rustenburg on 27 October. Two Amplats workers
were hit by live ammunition, and one, hit in the chest, is in a critical
condition in hospital. Eleven other mineworkers were injured by rubber bullets.
The DLF also condemns Blade Nzimande, SACP General Secretary and Minister for
Higher Education, for condoning this shooting by the police. This so-called
“Communist” defends the shooting of workers in the interests of the capitalist
bosses.

The rally of the Tripartite Alliance
of the ANC, SACP and COSATU was called by COSATU leaders supposedly to “reclaim
Rustenburg” from the mineworkers who have been on strike against mining bosses since
September with a demand for at least R12, 500 living wage. While the workers
are opposed to anyone speaking on their behalf, COSATU leaders aimed to try to
reinstate the NUM as the mineworkers’ union in the town. This was an extremely
provocative action.

It was well known to the COSATU
leadership that the mineworkers had rejected the NUM because of its failure to
represent their interests. Through its actions, including shooting workers in
Marikana on 10 August and identifying strike leaders to police, the NUM
leadership has in fact revealed itself as a union that sides with the bosses
against the workers and its own members. The rank and file members of NUM must
rescue the union and lead it back to its fighting and anti-capitalist
traditions. Otherwise it will be increasingly be seen amongst mineworkers
and the broader working class as a bosses’ yellow union. Already at other mines
COSATU General Secretary Vavi had failed when addressing workers to get them to
allow an NUM representative to speak.

Contrary to Nzimande’s lying claims,
the mineworkers did not try to disrupt the rally. Some 5000 Amplats workers got
to the stadium before COSATU arrived because they wanted to hear Vavi speak,
who most still regard as a leader with integrity. They expressed their anger at
the government by burning some of the ANC and COSATU banners and posters. When
the police asked them to leave the stadium, they complied and waited by an
entrance. This was not an “occupation” as reported in the media. Some 600-1000 COSATU
members then arrived in a march. As they entered the stadium through another
entrance some broke away and attacked the thousands of mineworkers, who were
waiting to return to the stadium to hear Vavi speak. The COSATU members ripped
off T-shirts, which had the demand for a R12, 500 living wage on them. In the
course of this attack one DLF member had his T-shirt and trousers removed by
NUM members and was arrested by police. Strikers went to aid those attacked.

It was clear by this time that the
attempt by COSATU to “reclaim Rustenburg” had failed dismally. At this point the
police attacked the strikers with live ammunition, rubber bullets, birdshot,
tear gas, stun grenades, horses, and water cannon, but left the COSATU
attackers unmolested. In the course of this 13 mineworkers were injured, one critically,
hit by a live bullet.

The ANC government and its police
once again, as in Marikana on 16 August, has defended the interests of the
bosses by shooting workers. Unfortunately COSATU and SACP leaders echo the
government. The tripartite alliance, as mineworkers say, are all “mealies of
the same bag: if one part of that bag is rotten all the mealies is spoilt”. Workers
say that they are done with the alliance, because “they are no longer singing
the same song as us.”

The actions of the police on 27
October go along with a police campaign of harassment of the Marikana
community, including the intimidation and arrest of worker witnesses to the
commission of enquiry into the events of 16 August. All this indicates that
another massacre like that in Marikana cannot be ruled out. Only the most
massive popular mobilization can prevent this.

The DLF calls on all members of
COSATU to unite with the striking mineworkers to condemn the provocation of the
rally and the actions of the police. In this regard, the DLF salutes the
National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) for its ongoing support
for mineworker struggles. It is time also for all union members to win back
their unions from a labour bureaucracy that stands in alliance with the bosses
and the state.What is needed is unity against
the bosses and the government to struggle for R12, 500 minimum living wage, and
against the mass dismissal of workers by the bosses, through the calling of a two
or three-day general strike.